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Love Makes a Difference	By : Nakkinomiko Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male > Cloud/Sephiroth Views: 2328 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all its characters are owned by SquareEnix. They aren't mine, and I make no money from this fic.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
A/N: Chapter warnings…WAFF, a little angst, and Hojo being a rat-bastard. This is the last chapter that is completely written, but I’m already outlining the next. Hopefully my holiday schedule won’t be so crazy that I can’t write at least a little!
Io, yeah, WAFF. LOL. I’m sorry…I’ve really tried to keep them from being overly like that! Thank you for sticking around, none the less. It’s appreciated! Muci, you probably won’t even see Aerith mentioned in this story. Since it is AU and with the direction the plot is moving, there just isn’t any space for her here. Glad you’re enjoying it!
*****
Chapter 7
“Wow, this place is huge!”
“Yeah,” Cloud murmured. He stood in the foyer of the Shinra Mansion and found himself staring up at the multi-tiered crystal chandelier with open-mouthed awe. He’d never seen anything so opulent in his life.
“I still can’t believe that you’ve never been inside before!” Zack exclaimed. “You grew up in this town!”
“Shinra mansion was strictly off limit to kids,” Cloud said.
“He’s right,” Tifa said. “We had a friend that decided to sneak onto the property, and his parents grounded him for a whole summer! It just wasn’t worth the risk!”
“I suppose knowing what we know now, it was for the best,” Sephiroth said. “Gods know what is in this place. You could have been seriously hurt.”
“So, where do we start looking?” Zack asked.
“I’ve no clue,” Sephiroth said with a shake of his head. “I’ve been here before, but I’ve never seen anything out of the ordinary.”
“Yeah, but you were never really looking for anything out of the ordinary before, either,” Zack countered.
“Should we split up?” Tifa asked.
“Yeah,” Zack said. He smiled down at Tifa. “You’re with me, beautiful.”
Tifa grinned at him. “Sure.”
“We’ll take the second floor,” Zack said. He grinned at Cloud and Sephiroth. “You guys look down here.”
Cloud watched Zack and Tifa ascend the stairs together. They linked hands half way up, and something Zack said to Tifa made her laugh. Cloud didn’t realize he was frowning like an over-protective brother until he felt a leather-clad finger brush across his lips. Sephiroth was smiling at him a little when he looked up at the General.
“You can’t stop the inevitable, you know,” Sephiroth said. “She’s a strong and intelligent woman. Zack was bound to be attracted to her, and really, when you stop and think about it, they’re a perfect match. Unlike most men, her strength and intelligence will not intimidate him in the least, and she will most definitely not take his crap.”
Cloud chuckled a little. “Well, she’ll most certainly be able to kick his ass if he tries anything before she’s ready.” He shook his head a little. “Three minutes and forty-six seconds!”
“She surprised you.”
“Yeah,” Cloud admitted. “I hadn’t realized just how good she was.”
Sephiroth nodded. “She is most definitely not to be underestimated.”
“We should start looking,” Cloud said.
Sephiroth nodded. “Lead on.”
*****
Zack and Tifa started in what seemed to them the most logical place, the library.
“Wow, it’s really dusty in here,” Tifa said.
Zack pulled a book off a shelf and promptly sneezed. “Yeah, you can say that again.” He waved his free hand to disperse the dust motes and flipped the book over so he could see the cover. “It’s just a normal book.”
Tifa frowned. “I don’t think there’s anything out of the ordinary here.”
Zack replaced the book and glanced sideways at the brunette. “Oh, I don’t know. I think I seem something rather extraordinary.”
Tifa looked around. “Where?”
“Tifa.”
She turned to look at him, and went very still when she noticed him smirking at her. Tifa’s cheeks flushed with the realization that Zack was talking about her.
“Oh.”
Zack closed the distance between them and slid a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head so he could look into her brown eyes. “You’re really beautiful, you know that, right?”
“I’ve been told that once or twice…but it was Cloud, so I’m not sure it counts.”
“Oh, I think it does count. You’ve seen his boyfriend, right? Cloud has an eye for beauty, I think.”
Tifa giggled. “Yeah, the General is kind of pretty, isn’t he?”
Zack grinned. “Yes, he is…but I wouldn’t let him hear you say that.” He stepped closer and moved his hand to slide through her dark hair.
“I’m not afraid of him,” Tifa said with a grin. “Three minutes and forty-six seconds, remember?”
“Yeah, I’ll not forget that anytime soon,” Zack said. “Hey, Tifa?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I kiss you?”
“I’ll hit you if you don’t.”
Zack grinned. “Then I’d better kiss you.”
“Yeah.”
They met each other halfway, and Zack felt something electric move between them as their lips met. Her arms slid around his neck, and Zack wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He kept the kiss chaste, because it was their first, and Zack didn’t want to push his luck. After a few minutes he slowly pulled away and grinned at her.
Tifa returned the grin. “Wow!”
“My sentiments exactly!” Zack brushed another quick kiss against her lips before he released her and stepped back. He slid his hand into hers and gave a gentle tug. “We should keep looking.”
“Yes, we should…but we’re continuing this conversation later.”
Zack gave her hand a squeeze. “Definitely.”
*****
Zack found the doorway to a hidden staircase in one of the bedroom’s closets. Zack just stared at the dark passageway for several moments, thinking that it had been entirely too easy to find. It’s probably nothing, he thought, but something in his gut told him otherwise. He’d always had very good instincts, instincts that had carried him through a lot of battles and saved his life, and right now the hair on his arms was standing on end. There was something down there.
“Zack?” Tifa stepped into the huge closet and stopped when she saw the yawning darkness on the back wall. Her eyes grew wide.
Zack reached out and squeezed her hand. “Go get Seph and Cloud, sweetheart. I think I just found what we were looking for.”
*****
Reno lit a cigarette and took a pull on it before turning his attention back to the mansion across the street. He shivered a little as a breeze ruffled his crimson bangs. He could feel the cold bricks of the wall behind him through is suit jacket, and even though it was still fall, Reno could smell winter coming in the wind.
“You okay?” Rude murmured.
“Yeah,” Reno said. “If there’s anything in there for them to find, hope they find it soon.” He wasn’t too proud to admit that he was restless, if not bored out of his mind. Sure, the little sparring match between the girl and Sephiroth had been amusing--she’d been pretty damn good, and Reno made a mental note to never piss that chick off--but that had been nearly four hours past, and Reno was so tired of standing still.
“Patience, Reno.”
Reno snorted. “Right.”
Rude only smirked. It was a sexy smirk, and it never failed to make Reno’s breath hitch ever-so-slightly.
Reno sighed. “You think they’re going to find anything?”
Rude shrugged.
“Well, if they do, I hope it’s worth me standing here and freezing my ass off.”
Rude chuckled. “Baby.”
“Oh, fuck you, Rude! Not all of us are walking furnaces, thank you very much.”
“Later.”
“Promise?” Reno purred.
Rude smirked again and nodded.
“I’m gonna’ hold you . . . .oh, hello.” Reno pushed away from the wall and narrowed his eyes as he watched the front door of the mansion open. Sephiroth came out first, and there was a sizeable book in his arms. Cloud came next, followed by Tifa and Zack. Cloud’s arms were wrapped around several small, journal-like books, and Tifa and Zack were both holding what looked like stacks of manila folders. They kept casting glances over their shoulders, as if expecting pursuit.
“They found something,” Rude said, needlessly.
Reno nodded. He found his cell phone and was about to flip it open when it rang. He started slightly, and frowned when he noted it was Tseng calling. Something in his stomach gave a nervous little twist. It seemed more than coincidence that the boss would be calling right at the moment Sephiroth and his friends were emerging with what Reno thought might be some fairly incriminating evidence in the case against the President.
Reno flipped the phone open. “Yo, Boss! I was about to call you. . . “
“They’ve found something, haven’t they?” Tseng’s voice interrupted.
Reno felt his stomach drop sharply, and he cast a worried glance at his partner. “Yeah. They just came out of the mansion with their arms full of stuff. Journals, documents . . .”
“Reno, it’s time to tell Sephiroth about Rufus,” Tseng interrupted again, his tone urgent. “You need to make yourself known, and you need to tell him that he’s got about six hours before his father arrives with Shinra security.”
“Sir?” Reno tried to swallow, but his mouth was quite suddenly too dry.
“The lab was alarmed, Reno.”
“Oh, fuck.”
“Exactly. Reno, their lives and the success of this entire operation are in your hands now.”
Reno took a split second to digest Tseng’s words, and then he grinned into the phone. “I’m on it, sir. You know I do my best work under pressure.”
“I’m counting on it. Get them out of there, preferably before Hojo shows up. It would complicate things a great deal if Hojo and the president were to find out that the Turks were against them. We need to save that surprise for much later, if we can.”
No shit, Reno thought. If he and Rude were seen with Sephiroth this early in the game, it would be all over for Tseng, and consequently, for Rufus, as well. Reno knew Rufus well enough to know that the younger man wouldn’t let Tseng take the fall alone. It was a fucking dangerous game they were playing, and one wrong move could destroy them all.
“Don’t you worry, Boss. I’ll get them out of here and to a safe house,” Reno said. “Which one should I take them to?”
“Surprise me,” Tseng said. “In fact, don’t tell me, Reno. Just call me when you get there, and we’ll discuss our next move then.”
“Sir, I’m going to have to take two civilians along,” Reno said, suddenly remembering the girl and Cloud’s mother.
“Do what you have to, Reno. Just get them out of there.”
“Right. Reno out.” He snapped the phone shut and turned his head to look at his partner.
Rude looked at him over the top of his shades. “We’re moving out?”
“Yeah, like, now,” Reno said. “Fucking lab was alarmed.”
“Great,” Rude deadpanned.
Reno detached himself from the wall and started after Sephiroth and the others.
“Yeah, fucking marvelous. Let’s go. We don’t have a lot of time. . .the faster we round them up and get on a chopper out of here the happier I’ll be.”
*****
Sephiroth felt like his heart was going to leap from his throat. He’d only skimmed the first few pages of the huge leather bound journal he was holding, but he’d seen enough in that moment to know that he held the answer to a lot of his life’s unanswered questions in his hands. He also knew it wasn’t going to be good. The lab they’d found the journals in had been far beneath the surface and guarded by several nasty monsters--someone hadn’t wanted the lab or anything within to be discovered. Sephiroth cast another nervous glance over his shoulder, fully expecting to see a full squadron of Shinra regulars behind them. There was nothing, of course.
“We’re almost there,” Cloud said, as if sensing his nervousness. “Only four more blocks to mom’s house.”
Sephiroth, not quite able to find his voice, nodded. He was feeling real fear for the first time in many years, and he didn’t quite know how to deal with it. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible resided in the pages of the book he held, and that it would irrevocably change everything. He shook himself from his thoughts as they rounded the final corner that stood between them and Gail Strife’s house. Sephiroth stopped walking so abruptly that Cloud nearly ran into him.
“Hey. . .”
Sephiroth’s green eyes narrowed, and he shifted the journal into the crook of his left arm before unsheathing his blade with his right. He leveled a dark glare at the two Turks standing outside the gate that lead into the yard.
“Shit,” Cloud murmured behind him.
“What are you doing here, Reno?” Sephiroth demanded.
The red-headed Turk smirked and shook his head. “I’ll tell you, if you tell me where you’ve been.”
Sephiroth felt his mouth go dry.
“You first,” Cloud interrupted. “We haven’t done anything wrong.”
Reno arched a brow, and his lips curled in a dangerous smirk. “Oh, really?” His gaze rested pointedly on the journals and papers Sephiroth and the others were carrying before he met Sephiroth’s gaze again. “Your father is on his way here, with an entire squadron of Shinra regulars. The lab was alarmed, Sephiroth, and right now you and your friends need to be anywhere but here.”
Sephiroth sneered. “And I should trust you why? You work for the President. . .”
Reno snorted and returned the sneer. “I work for Tseng, yo!”
Sephiroth arched a brow. “As I said. . .”
“Tseng’s loyalties lie elsewhere these days,” Reno said with a smirk. “Ask Zack there. He’ll tell you.”
Sephiroth turned his head slightly and gave his friend a questioning glance.
Zack frowned a little. “Reno . . .”
“Fucking tell them, Zack,” Reno snapped. “I don’t want to be here when Hojo arrives, and trust me, neither do you.”
“Rufus,” Zack said suddenly.
“Rufus?” Sephiroth felt his brows disappear into his hairline. “As in, Rufus Shinra?”
“Yeah,” Zack said. “He’s the one that had that last batch of mako tested.”
Sephiroth frowned and looked at Reno again. “So Rufus wants to be president?”
Reno shook his head. “I’ve no clue if he wants to be President or not, but I can tell you that hunger for power has nothing to do with why he’s doing this. It’s more personal than that, man, and if you want to know more, you’ll have to ask him yourself. Look, I’m on your side, and I’m telling you, if we’re not gone when Hojo and the others arrive, a lot of people are going to be in trouble. The President doesn’t know the Turks don’t really serve him, and we’d like to keep it that way for a while longer.”
“Why is Rufus helping me?” Sephiroth asked.
“Because you’re the key,” Zack answered. “Think about it, Seph--you survived that mako injection, and you’ve told me before that there are chunks of memory missing from your childhood. Hojo did something to you, Seph, and whatever it was, the President had a hand in it. We find out what that is, and both of them are goners. All we have to do is find solid evidence!”
“He’s right,” Reno said. He jerked his chin towards the journal Sephiroth had cradled close to his chest. “And I’m betting all the evidence we need is right there.”
“We need to go with them,” Zack said. “I trust them, Sephiroth.”
Sephiroth closed his eyes and sighed. “And I trust you.” He opened his eyes and met Reno’s gaze. “We’ll go with you.”
*************************
Gail was washing dishes in the kitchen when she heard the front door open, followed closely by the sound of voices raised in disagreement.
“We’re not involving my mother!”
Gail recognized Cloud’s voice.
“We don’t have a choice,” an unfamiliar voice retorted. The voices came closer, and then Cloud appeared in the kitchen with his friends and two newcomers. Cloud dropped a stack of what looked to be journals on the table and rounded on what Gail identified as a Shinra Turk.
“Cloud?” Gail looked between her son and the red-headed Turk he was arguing with.
“There’s no reason for us to bring her along!” Cloud ground out. Gail rather thought her son was going to punch the Turk.
Sephiroth set a sizeable journal on the kitchen table before he stepped between them and placed his hands on Cloud’s shoulders. “Cloud, Reno is right. My father knows about us, and once he realizes what we’ve done, he’ll stop at nothing to find us. He’d use your mother to get to me through you. She has to go with us, or she’ll be in danger.”
“And we’re going to be with her,” Zack interjected. “And two Turks, to boot.”
“What’s going on?” Gail interrupted. “Why do I have to leave with you?”
Tifa elbowed her way past Zack and a second Turk. Her arms were wrapped around a sizeable stack of manila folders, and she set it on the table next to a stack of small journals that Cloud had set there just moments before.
“Because we found something,” Tifa said. She went to Zack and relieved him of a second stack of documents and placed them on the table with the others. “Mrs. Strife, do you have something we can carry these in? They’re pretty important.”
“What are they?”
“Scientific journals,” Cloud said. He was still glaring at the red-head over Sephiroth’s shoulder.
“My father’s, to be exact,” Sephiroth said. His knuckles were nearly white with his effort to keep Cloud from moving past him. “Gail, I am very sorry that you’ve become involved in this . . .”
“I’m not,” she interrupted. She untied the apron she was wearing and tossed it on the counter. “Tifa, there’s a duffel bag in the front closet--it should be big enough to hold all of that. If you’d get it for me, and then perhaps you should run home long enough to pack a change of clothes?”
“Oh, right!” Tifa said.
Gail ignored the growl that issued from her son’s chest as Tifa disappeared into the front hall. Instead, she turned her attention on the two newcomers. “I’m Gail Strife,” she said. “Who are you?”
The redhead smirked, and it reached his emerald eyes. “Reno,” he said, and gestured towards the bald man standing behind him. “This is my partner, Rude. Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”
Tifa reappeared with a camouflage duffel bag. She set it on the table. “There. I’ll just run and pack some stuff then. I’ll be right back . . .”
“Rude, go with her,” Reno said. “I don’t want to take any chances with her safety.”
“I’ll go,” Zack said.
“No,” Sephiroth interrupted. “We need to pack our things while she’s gone. You heard what Reno said, Zack. Hojo will be here in less than six hours. We need to be well away before then. Let Rude go with her.”
Gail noted that Zack didn’t look very happy about it, but the SOLDIER nodded at what was obviously a command from a superior officer. Gail wasn’t overly surprised when Tifa gave Zack a quick peck on the cheek before she left with Rude.
“I don’t like this,” Cloud grumbled.
“Well, get over it,” Gail said. She gave Cloud a wry smile. “I told you, kid, I don’t care about the danger, and Sephiroth is right. If Tifa and I stay here, we’d be sitting ducks. It’s safer for us to be with you.”
Cloud seemed to sag, and Sephiroth wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. Both men looked so fragile in that moment, and Gail found herself wishing she could find Hojo and lay into him herself. She glanced at the journals and documents stacked on her table and felt her stomach give an uneasy turn. She had a feeling that whatever was written there would cause an irrevocable change, and she wasn’t entirely sure that it would be for the better. She sent a silent prayer to the Ancients that her son and his lover would make it through the coming storm--there wasn’t much else she could do.
*****
Hojo stood in the doorway of the laboratory, his dark eyes gone narrow with anger. The room looked as if someone had hit it with a level three quake spell--shelves were turned over and he knew without looking that there were documents missing. He also knew that, even if he had a forensic team dust the room for prints, there would be no clues as to who had perpetrated the crime. Oh, he knew who had been here, but he didn’t have any positive proof--Sephiroth and his friends were well trained and would know better than to leave any evidence behind.
“Sir?”
Hojo barely looked at the Shinra lackey that stood just behind him. “What?”
“Sir, if they were here, no one is admitting it,” the man said. “The Lockheart girl is nowhere to be found, and the Strife residence is completely empty.”
“And no one has seen them?” Hojo said.
“No, sir.”
Hojo turned away from the ruined room and stalked past the guard. He paused to look at the gagihandi carcass that took up most of the subterranean hallway between the lab and the staircase leading back to the Mansion proper. Oh, there was no doubt at all that it had been Sephiroth and his friends--no ordinary civilian would have the battle skills and materia needed to defeat such a creature. Hojo sneered at the dead creature before he ascended the stairs. He made his way to the front door and stepped out onto the porch that wrapped around the front of the mansion. The mansion was situated on a hill above Nibelheim, and the porch afforded a good view of the village.
A cold smile spread across Hojo’s lips as he surveyed the village by the light of a dying sun. He knew that Sephiroth and Cloud had been here, and he knew the villagers were more than likely lying to protect them. He sneered. Such a small-town mentality.
Well, they would learn.
“Sergeant?” Hojo looked over his shoulder at the Shinra guard shadowing him.
“Sir?”
Hojo gave another cold smile and gazed out over the village again. When he spoke, his voice was a chill hiss.
“Burn it all.”
*****
It was just past dinner time when Tseng arrived at Rufus’ apartment. Rufus’s words of greeting died on his lips when he saw the older man’s expression.
“You’re not watching the news like you usually do,” Tseng said. He strode across the living room and flipped the TV on.
“I was working on a report. What is it, Tseng? Sephiroth and the others got away, didn’t they?”
“Yes,” Tseng said. He picked up the remote and changed the channel. “And the town decided to protect them, for whatever reason. They wouldn’t answer any of Hojo’s questions, and they‘re paying for it now.”
“I don’t understand,” Rufus said with a frown.
“Look.” Tseng stepped away from the T.V.
It took Rufus a moment to understand what he was seeing, but when the realization came, his jaw dropped slightly and his eyes grew wide with horror. The screen was awash with flame, and he found himself sinking slowly into a chair as the news reporter started to speak.
“This was the scene in Nibelheim earlier this evening. Witnesses say that a division of Shinra regulars unceremoniously forced residents from their homes before setting them aflame. No one was able to tell this reporter exactly what precipitated the brutal action, but I am relieved to report that even though most of the village has burned to the ground, no one was hurt. Numerous attempts were made to contact Shinra, Inc for their side of the story, but they have not yet responded . . .”
“Damn Hojo!” Rufus hissed. Anger rushed white hot through his veins. “He’s going to pay for this!”
“Oh, yes he is.” Tseng turned the TV off and turned to face him. The Turk was practically vibrating with rage.
“This is exactly the type of thing that I’m trying to prevent!” Rufus hissed.
Tseng nodded. “I know, Rufus.”
Rufus took a few deep breaths and tried to calm his own rage. “Is there any word yet on what was contained in the journals?”
“I spoke with Reno half an hour ago. They are still en route to the safe house. I’m afraid that for now, we will have to wait.”
“Yes, and I hate that!” Rufus closed his eyes and let his head rest on the back of the chair. “It seems all I’ve done is wait my entire life.”
“Your wait is almost over,” Tseng replied. “I can feel it Rufus. What we need is in those documents, and they will find it.”
Rufus’ answering smile was grim. “And then Hojo and my father will pay.”
*****
TBC
- 6
- 7
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Love Makes a Difference